Some Africa Pictures

[Spock]

I have not written up our trip story on my blog since we got back. Have been busy, but have thought a lot about what form various essays and posts will take.

With things getting a little less busy-The "Writing Bug" is starting to bite me.

I felt/feel compelled to weigh in on a recent hunting controversy (Melissa Bachman's South Africa Lion Hunt) and that is where I re-activated my writing.

I linked that to an African Hunting Forum site-so I also put a post with a quick set of photos as people there wanted to see pics.

The first link is to the blog in general. At this time, the first post is about 8 pics. These are mainly the dead animal pics-I love the picture of me with the impala.That is the best picture of me taken in years.

They are as tasteful as possible. We included 5 pictures of these animals on our XMas card. I suspect few people have ever sent a Xmas card with a dead zebra on it(LOL). However, as most here understand (especially, if you read my pre-trip posts) the trip was not simply about dead animals. As I continue to write there will be far more "Africa" pics than there will be of "dead animal" pics

http://thesmokeofafrica.blogspot.com/

However, if you have no desire to see the pics, this link is direct to the post on the Melissa Bachman controversy.

http://thesmokeofafrica.blogspot.com/20 ... vancy.html

[Spock]

As I said I have started writing more now.

I have gotten from home to Vic Falls in 3 easy posts.

http://thesmokeofafrica.blogspot.com/

[tanstaafl2]

Enjoying the story so far Spock! Since I only used a camera on my past "safari's" I suppose the game kills are less appealing to me but interesting all the same.

Having done that Atlanta-Jo'burg flight many times I certainly didn't envy you that one. Only once did I get lucky and get bumped up to business class which made it a good deal more tolerable. You are right about the flight from Jo'burg to Victoria Falls kind of straddling a line between two eco-zones and those pans are indeed a fascinating site. If you catch the Skeleton coast inbound from Atlanta in Namibia that is interesting as well.

Looks like you saw the falls at a higher water flow time period (mid summer I believe?). Both times I saw it they were at a relatively low water flow level in October/November time frame.

Spoiler

Victoria Falls from the air at the top of the picture


A view of the mile long first gorge of the falls from the air showing minimal water. In the high water rainy season the entire mile long gorge is a continuous water fall.

Look forward to more posts!

[Spock]

Thanks Tan.

When I could see the pans (which I have since read, are the size of Portugal)-I, being Geography Boy, had to restrain myself from jumping up and down in my seat and yelling. "Hey, there is something really cool, down there." For some reason, Mrs. S was not quite as excited about it as I was (LOL).

When were you last at the Falls?-My guide had not been there since the 2008 timeframe and things were really bad there then-False arrests of tourists and a lot of unsavory characters hanging about.

He said it has improved exponentially since then and we had no problems.

[Spock]

http://thesmokeofafrica.blogspot.com/

Gotten farther along in the journey.

Since my last posting here: I have taken the story to the entrance of the Matetsi Safari Area.

We have now visited Victoria Falls; I brought back some early essays that I deleted, but want back in; Driven down the "Chinese" road to camp; Included an Iconic African Photo as a treat and teaser; and taken a detour through the seizure of white-owned farms by "War Vets"-circa 2000.

[Spock]

Gotten farther along in the story.
http://thesmokeofafrica.blogspot.com/

We have now checked into our own private all-inclusive resort and entered the Kafka-esque world of Zimbabwean politics.

We have also met the hunting crew and after a wasted day and a half in camp(due to said Zimbabwean political crap) we have finally gotten to go on a game drive (non-hunting).

I also now have one degree of separation from a Selous Scout.

Our next adventures will have us joining the throngs of day-trippers to the elephant-ravaged woodlands of Disney's Animal Kingdom, oops, sorry I mean Botswana's Chobe National Park.

If anyone wants to read ahead-This article came out after the trip, but it supports what Doug, with 20 years of Botswanan experience told us and what we saw in the park.

http://www.sportsafield.com/content/bot ... e-disaster

[tanstaafl2]

Thanks Tan.

When I could see the pans (which I have since read, are the size of Portugal)-I, being Geography Boy, had to restrain myself from jumping up and down in my seat and yelling. "Hey, there is something really cool, down there." For some reason, Mrs. S was not quite as excited about it as I was (LOL).

When were you last at the Falls?-My guide had not been there since the 2008 timeframe and things were really bad there then-False arrests of tourists and a lot of unsavory characters hanging about.

He said it has improved exponentially since then and we had no problems.

The pictures were from November 2008 and I was last there in October 2009. But we were only on the Zambia side. We wanted nothing to do with Zimbabwe and avoided it because of the very things you noted. Zambia was no problem. Closest I got was walking on the bridge over the Zambezi between the two to watch the "jumpers"!

Did I mention this was the site where the cord broke and a women (fortunately) hit the river???

Did I mention crocodiles...

GERONIMO!!!

Spoiler

[Spock]

http://thesmokeofafrica.blogspot.com/

Hadn't written much for a few days. Since my last update here I have gotten us to Chobe National Park, with some interesting(to me) sights along the way.

And I have now discussed the "Elephant-Burnt" woodlands of Chobe National Park. Through this whole blogging process, this is the post that is (and always will be) the most special to me. This is why I am so glad I started blogging this trip.

Next up, some lighter posts on the animals in the Park-including the 'Fighting Giraffes of Chobe National Park" and what is probably the best photo of the whole trip.

[Spock]

http://thesmokeofafrica.blogspot.com/

Since last updated here updated through our trip to Chobe National Park. 3 picture-heavy posts including the picture of the trip.

This may be the set of posts with the most general interest as it was a conventional tourist day in a national park as hundreds or thousands experience Africa every day.

[tanstaafl2]

http://thesmokeofafrica.blogspot.com/

Since last updated here updated through our trip to Chobe National Park. 3 picture-heavy posts including the picture of the trip.

This may be the set of posts with the most general interest as it was a conventional tourist day in a national park as hundreds or thousands experience Africa every day.

We crossed through that same border point where Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana all come together. It was a complete mess because they had to use a ferry for everything because Zimbabwe was obstructing the building of a bridge because they wanted huge payments (bribes) to make it happen. Did they ever build it? Probably not!

Yuo probably didn't see it as you were already on the other side of the Zambezi, crossing directly from Zim to Botswana. We had to cross the river.

From Kasane we flew over Chobi NP and the area you toured in a small plane where we had great arial views of the region and went to the Moremi area along the eastern edge of the Okavango for our little safari adventure way back when (2008 I guess). Despite the elephants the landscape improved as the elephants were not as bunched up here and in some places there was a good bit of vegetation even considering it was the end of the dry season in October/early November. And of course the Okavango is never dry.

I was a bit more bold about taking pictures at the border. Here you can see the seemingly never ending line of trucks waiting for the ancient ferry to take them across, one semi at a time!

Spoiler

Gate on the Zambia side


The Ferry

[Spock]

Tan>>>and in some places there was a good bit of vegetation even considering it was the end of the dry season in October/early November.<<<

One of my biases that I recognize is that there was so much vegetation in our hunting area at the time-Not overgrazed, or totally burned yet. That comes later in the year. So I have a lush (relatively speaking) area in my memory compared to Chobe.

Contrary to that-the Chobe area was so grazed and chewed down (not just by elephants) when we there-I can't imagine how bad it must be 3 months later. I said to Doug-do any tourists even come then-He said Yes, because you see lions easy then. Essentially ,they just wait on top of the ridge till something gets thirsty.

[Spock]

Tanstaafl>>>And of course the Okavango is never dry. <<<

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com ... ngo-delta/

Looks like a future topic for Eye on the Land. A lot of upstream interests want that water.

http://eyeontheland.blogspot.com/

[Spock]

I have been reading/watching stuff about Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique("Africa's Lost Eden" on Netflix)-Strikes me as the kind of place that Tanstaafl would visit.

Been enjoying "Blood Diamond" the last few days. Leonardo's accent and verbiage was uncanny-He said things just like our pH would say them. It almost gives me goose bumps.

Plus, there is one thing that happened on the trip that we can share with nobody (except maybe a really good friend and I have a few beers in me) and a scene in the movie caught that exactly-Mrs. S and I were both laughing about it. Not the kind of thing that is going to happen on a canned photo safari.

[tanstaafl2]

I have been reading/watching stuff about Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique("Africa's Lost Eden" on Netflix)-Strikes me as the kind of place that Tanstaafl would visit.

Indeed it is. Got close several years ago but didn't make it. Have a friend whose father is starting an emu farm in Mozambique so who knows, maybe I will yet!

This year is dominated with the planning for the Five Stans. We did contemplate a trip to Western Tanzania as well to chase after Jane Goodall's chimps but that will probably have to wait until at least next year.

So many places, so little time.